Top 5 CRM Software for Startups

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is focused on managing and developing the way in which customers interact with an organization. It supports the multiple available avenues for client relations including marketing and sales of product and services, customer support and feedback, as well as retention strategies for building stronger product loyalty and strengthening future sales. CRM automates all these tasks and allows improving productivity along with developing a larger customer base, while providing a technical solution that is simple to use by both businesses and their customers.

At ITQlick we understand that customer management and development is key to startup companies planning future stability and organization growth. Our review of the best CRM solutions that are best tailored for startups we consider factors such as reasonable price, supporting major functionality, ease of use, low infrastructure investment, and ensuring a clear growth path to allow the software to meet the needs of an evolving business. After examining several solutions, here are some of our best recommendations:

Salesforce.com is a cloud based solution provided on a per user subscription basis with a free trial period, thus not requiring any significant technology investment on your part, since it can be easily accessed via the web. In addition, customers will get access to a rich portfolio of solutions that include Sales, Service, Marketing, Social Collaboration features and Data Analytics. There is also a development platform for customers interested in further enhancing their functionality and develop their own applications on the Salesforce.com platform, as well as an app exchange with access to other productivity tools that match for their specific requirements. Finally, Salesforce is scalable for any size of business which means startups can look to expand their implementation when their business grows. This is a suitable product for companies looking for comprehensive functionality.

Infusionsoft is another solution focused on the sales management requirements of CRM. Its features include lead management and conversion, marketing campaigns and email follow up, and e-commerce support which provide an online store that handles enquiries, sales, payments and fulfillment. Infusionsoft can also collate various information and behavior about leads, and derive recommended marketing strategies for improving conversions. While it is a cloud based solution, its pricing packages are based on the number of contacts a business plans to manage and features required. This might be a more expensive option for a startup company looking for low investment, but if a company already has a well defined market base that allows mining, it could be a useful option to explore.

This is a CRM solution focused on smaller companies that also includes project management functionality. JobNimbus includes lead management, workflow management, and collaboration tools. It allows startup companies to track customers and projects, assign work and monitor performance. Jobnimbus does not have a full suite of CRM functionality such as marketing and data analytics, but it does provide an economically priced cloud solution that requires minimal investment and is easy to use. It is best used by small startups that have a project focused rather than product focused business.

Salesoutlook CRM is built and embedded in Microsoft Outlook so it is easy to operate by anyone familiar with basic Outlook functionality. It can be provided as an on-premise or cloud-based solution, and its features include customer and sales management, email marketing, document management, as well as lead and pipeline development. Salesoutlook is also mobile device access ready and offers a free trial. While it is a low cost option for startups that want a simple solution, it is not scalable for large companies who will need to migrate to more established solutions.

This is a CRM tool suited for small startups that integrates the main functionality of customer and sales management into one simple, easily manageable tool. It is available as a desktop or cloud-based solution and is also mobile device access ready. Its features include lead and prospect management, email marketing, and social media integration, and it supports integration with accounting packages for tracking sales and payments. Act! Premium pricing is quite reasonable in comparison to other packages, but it is only scalable to SMBs, which needs to be taken into account by fast growing businesses.